William Nylander of the Toronto Maple Leafs flipped the bird to a TV camera on Sunday, earning a $5,000 fine and a viral reminder of his behavior before he plays for Sweden in the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics.
Nylander, out with a groin injury, sat with other scratched teammates when a TSN camera focused on them during Toronto’s 4-1 home loss to the Colorado Avalanche.
Nylander extended his middle finger in front of his face and smiled. The replay quickly circulated on social media.
“Only love for leafs nation,” he wrote hours later in an Instagram Story. “Sorry about my moment of frustration today! didn’t mean to upset anyone. looking forward to being back on the ice and not in the stands.”
The NHL wasn’t quite as chirpy in announcing the fine on Monday.
“This serves as a reminder [that] the code of conduct governing Players extends throughout the arena at NHL games and in public game situations,” NHL Senior Vice President of Player Safety George Parros said.
As of Tuesday afternoon, Nylander, a winger, led the team in points with 48 (17 goals, 31 assists). He has returned to team practice.
Sweden begins play in the Winter Games on Feb. 11 against host Italy as NHL players return to Olympic competition for the first time since 2014.
Sweden was the third betting favorite behind the United States and top pick Canada, according to FanDuel.
Michael Chisholm via Getty Images
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